Author: bridgete

Categories
Shrimp

Tandoori Shrimp

  • 450 grams shrimp, tiger prawn preferred, shelled and deveined, tails on
  • bamboo skewers, soaked in water before using
  • oil for basting
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

MARINADE:

  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix all the ingredients of the Marinade in a bowl. Stir to combine well.
  2. Add the shrimp to the Marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or best for two hours. Thread the shrimp onto the bamboo skewers, set aside.
  3. Grill the shrimp on a grill on both sides, until they are cooked and slightly charred on the surface. Baste with oil while grilling.
  4. Remove from the grill, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately with lime wedges.

If you are baking with oven, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and arrange the shrimp skewers in a single layer. Using a small brush, baste both sides of the shrimp with the oil. Roast for 10 minutes or until the shrimps are cooked.

Broil for 1 minute or until the top surface is slightly charred. Remove from the oven, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Categories
-sides

Potatoes au Gratin

  • Softened butter
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 1kg potatoes, peeled
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • 8 to 10 fresh thyme sprigs
  • freshly grated nutmeg, optional
  • 1.5 cups (or more or less) stock
  • 1.5 cups (or more or less) heavy cream
  • 1 heaping cup grated Gruyère cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 190c (375ºF). Grease an earthenware gratin dish with smashed peeled garlic and butter.
  2. cut potatoes 1/8-inch thick and layer overlapping slices in the prepared pan. Season generously with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves (no need to chop — just pull and scatter). Lightly grate nutmeg over top. Make another layer of potato slices and season again in the same manner.
  3. Cover the potatoes with the stock and cream — you may need more to allow the liquid to get to the top level of the top layer of potatoes. 
  4. Sprinkle the top with the grated cheeses.
  5. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour (see notes above if you need to make this ahead of time), checking after 40 minutes or so to make sure the potatoes are not browning too quickly. If they are browning too quickly, cover the pan with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are tender and the top is nicely browned. You can also turn the temperature down to 350ºF if necessary. I find this consistently takes over an hour for the liquid to thicken up and for the top to be evenly browned. 
Categories
bread&pizza

Naan

  1. Preheat the oven to 225C/200C fan/Gas 8 and place a thick baking tray into the oven to heat.
  2. Whisk together the sugar, egg and milk in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead lightly to make a soft dough – take care not to work the dough too much or it will become too stretchy.
  4. When all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest, in a warm place, for 15 minutes.
  5. Once rested, knead the dough with the oil until smooth.
  6. Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized balls and roll out into a circle of approximately 10cm/4in diameter.
  7. Spread the circles on the hot tray in the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes – you might need to turn the bread to ensure it is all cooked. You will also most likely need to cook the bread in batches. Brush with melted ghee.
Categories
-appetizers bread&pizza Fish

Salmon Honey Pastries

  • 56 grams (2 ounces) cream cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (for cream cheese filling)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, divided
  • 140 gram (5 ounce) salmon steak, skin removed
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice for salmon (optional)
  • small pinch of sea salt
  • 1 sheet puff pastry dough
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons water
  1. Preheat oven to 200c (400F.)
  2. Combine the cream cheese, honey, one teaspoon dill, and one teaspoon lemon juice in a small bowl. It will take a few minutes to combine everything well. Add the other one teaspoon of lemon juice, stir well again, and set aside.
  3. Slice salmon steak into 12 thin slices. Arrange salmon slices on a large flat plate, sprinkle remaining dill, three teaspoons of lemon juice (optional), and small pinch of sea salt over salmon slices.
  4. Cut pastry dough into 12 squares. Evenly distribute the cream cheese onto the pastry squares. Top each with one slice of salmon.
  5. In a small bowl combine egg and water.
  6. Fold one corner of the pastry square over the salmon, brush with egg wash. Fold opposite corner over the first fold, brush with egg wash to seal.
  7. Bake 18-20 minutes or until salmon and pastry dough are fully cooked.
Categories
Fish

Sicilian-Style Baked Cod

  • 1 medium or 1/2 of a large red onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 12 to 16 ounces firm white fish fillet, cut in 3 to 4-ounce portions
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
  • 3 or 4 sprigs fresh, flat-leaf parsley
  • 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
  • 3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
  • 10 to 12 oil-cured black olives, cracked and pitted
  1. Preheat the oven to 200c (400°F.)
  2. Cut the onion into quarters, then cut the quarters crosswise and separate the layers to create wide, square slices. In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté over low heat until the onion has wilted and started to turn translucent; be careful not to let it brown. Add the red wine vinegar to the pan and shake it briefly, then transfer everything to the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish.
  3. Wipe the pan with a paper towel to clean it, then place it back over low heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the anchovy paste and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the paste into the oil. Dump the breadcrumbs into the pan and stir to completely coat them with the oil. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a small bowl to cool slightly.
  4. Wash the herbs, pat them dry, and finely chop them. Add them to the bowl with breadcrumbs, and season everything with a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
  5. Lay the portioned fish on top of the onions and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Distribute the breadcrumb-herb mixture evenly on top of the fish. Add the white wine or water to the pan and scatter the olives around the dish.
  6. Bake the fish for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish; it should be cooked through but still moist; check the pan after 10 minutes and add a bit more water or wine if necessary.
  7. Serve immediately, with the some of the onions, olives and pan juices spooned alongside the fish.
Categories
Bakery Desserts

Cherry upside down cake

For the cherry layer

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries 
  • ⅓ cup sugar 
  • 1 tsp corn starch 

For the chocolate cake batter

  • 1 cup sugar 
  • 1 cup all purpose flour 
  • ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa 
  • 1 tsp. baking powder 
  • ½ tsp baking soda 
  • ¼ tsp salt 
  • 2 eggs 
  • ½ cup soured milk 
  • ½ cup brewed black coffee. 
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil 
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

To prepare the cherry layer

  1. Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan that’s at least 2 inches deep and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. You can also use an 8×8 square baking dish for this cake.
  2. Blend together the sugar and corn starch, then toss the mixture well with the pitted cherries. If using frozen cherries allow them to thaw for 20 minutes or so before using them.
  3. Spread the cherries evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.

To prepare the chocolate cake batter

  1. Combine all ingredients in the batter recipe in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
  2. Pour slowly and evenly over the cherries in the prepared cake pan.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  4. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a heat proof serving plate.
Categories
Vegetarian

Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Spinach and Goat Cheese

  • Mushrooms
  • onions
  • garlic
  • red pepper
  • spinach
  • tomatoes
  • goat cheese
  • hot sauce
  • breadcrumbs
  • mozzarella
  1. Prep the oven: Preheat oven to 200c (400°F).
  2. Prep the mushrooms: Carefully remove stems from mushrooms, reserve and chop the stems for the stuffing. Place the mushrooms stem side down onto a baking pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the water leaks out of them. Remove from the oven and using paper towels soak up excess water. Set aside.
  3. Make the filling: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute for a couple minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the red pepper and spinach to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes, until the spinach wilts. Stir in the tomatoes, goat cheese, salt, pepper, mushrooms stems, hot sauce and breadcrumbs. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  4. Stuff the mushrooms: Stuff the mushrooms with the mixture equally. Top with mozzarella cheese. If using smaller mushrooms you should have enough mixture for about 8 mushrooms.
  5. Bake: Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

VERSION 2

Marinated mushrooms

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Marsala (optional)
  • 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
  • 6 large portobello mushrooms

For filling:

  • 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach
  • 1 pound button mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia)
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Step 1

Whisk first 6 ingredients and Marsala, if desired, in medium bowl for marinade. Stir in thyme sprigs. Cut stems from mushrooms and place stems in processor. Arrange mushrooms, gill side up, in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over mushrooms and marinate 4 hours, turning to coat occasionally.

For filling:

Step 2

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain; cool. Using hands, squeeze excess water from spinach. Place in small bowl.

Step 3

Add half of button mushrooms to processor with portobello mushroom stems. Using on/off turns, process until coarsely chopped. Transfer to medium bowl and repeat with remaining mushrooms. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add chopped mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and increase heat to high. Cook until almost all liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Season mushroom mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl; cool to room temperature.

Step 4

Add spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and breadcrumbs to mushroom mixture; toss to distribute evenly. Add goat cheese and toss gently to distribute evenly. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover filling and let stand at room temperature.

Step 5

Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer marinated mushrooms, with some marinade still clinging, to rimmed baking sheet, gill side down. Roast until beginning to soften, about 15 minutes. Turn mushrooms over. Divide filling among mushrooms. Sprinkle remaining 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over and bake until heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 15 minutes.

Categories
Shrimp

Shrimp and Grits Style Risotto

  • 16 large shrimp,peeled and deveined
  • 2 lemons, juiced, several slices of peel reserved
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • smoked salmon, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato, about 3 medium
  • 2 cups fish stock
  • 1/2 cup half and half, warmed
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup long grain arborio superfino
  • Dash or more of tabasco, more at table
  • 4 scallions, sliced with some green tops
  1. Place shrimp in a bowl with lemon juice, a few strips of lemon peel, thyme, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. In a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium low heat to render fat; remove with a slotted spoon once bacon has cooked to golden but not crisped and drain on paper towel lined plate.
  3. Add remaining olive oil to bacon fat in pan; cook garlic and parsley together until very fragrant. Add tomatoes to pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add shrimp (with its marinade) and cook one minute per side. Add wine, bring to a simmer, removing shrimp after 1 minute. Set aside in a covered bowl. Add fish stock to remaining liquid and keep at a low simmer.
  4. In a dutch oven, heat butter and saute onion until golden over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook until golden. Stir in rice and cook until translucent.
  5. Over a period of 20 minutes, add stock mixture 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed with each addition. When all but a half a cup or so of liquid remains to be added and the rice is al dente stir in bacon and shrimp, and a few dashes of tabasco. Finish the dish with the warm half and half and a squeeze of lemon. Put the lid on the dutch oven and let the risotto rest for 5 minutes before serving topped with scallions and more Tabasco at table if desired.
Categories
Vegetarian

Vegetable Lasagna

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach

Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups prepared marinara sauce)

  • 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Remaining ingredients

  • 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles (I make fresh pasta and cook it)
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
  3. Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.
  5. Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.
  6. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.
  7. Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!
  8. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
  9. Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
  10. Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.
  11. Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 12 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.
  12. Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.
Categories
Salad

Nasi Goreng with Mackerel

225g (8oz)long grain rice
2 x 175–225g (6–8oz)mackerel, cleaned
2large eggs
Sunflower oil, for frying
6large shallots, sliced
175g (6oz)peeled, cooked North Atlantic prawns
1 tbsplight soy sauce
5cm (2in)piece of cucumber, quartered lengthways and sliced
4spring onions, chopped
For the nasi goreng paste:
3 tbspgroundnut oil
4large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2large shallots, roughly chopped
15g (½oz)roasted salted peanuts
6medium-hot red chillies, chopped
1 tbsptomato purée
½ tspblachan (dried shrimp paste)
1 tbspketjap manis (sweet soy sauce)

First make the nasi goreng paste: put all the paste ingredients into a food processor and blend. Then cook the rice in boiling, salted water for 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain, rinse well and then spread it out on a tray. Leave to cool.

Preheat the grill to high. Season the mackerel on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay them on a lightly oiled baking sheet or the rack of a grill pan and grill for 4 minutes on each side. Leave them to cool and then flake the flesh into large pieces, discarding the bones.

Next, beat the eggs with salt and pepper and then heat a little oil in a frying pan and make three omelettes. The object is to get them as thin as possible. Cook each one till the egg has lightly set on top, then flip over and cook a few seconds on the other side. Roll the omelettes up and leave them to cool. Then thinly slice the omelettes into strips.

Pour 1cm (½in) of sunflower oil into a frying pan. Add the shallots and fry over a medium heat until crisp and golden brown. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the oil from frying the shallots into a large wok and get it smoking hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the nasi goreng paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the cooked rice and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes, until it has heated through. Add the prawns, the strips of omelette, the fried shallots and the flaked mackerel and stir-fry for a further minute. Add the soy sauce, cucumber and most of the spring onions, toss together well and then spoon onto a large, warmed plate. Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions and serve immediately.